County woman killed when deer slams windshield

November 12, 2012News Extra

BRADY TWP — A Butler County woman was killed Sunday evening when a deer struck by a passing car crashed through the windshield of a vehicle that she was riding in on Route 8, state police said.

Carol Mitch, 51, of Oakland Township was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash about one-tenth of a mile north of Duffy Road at the border of Brady and Slippery Rock townships.

Police said the freak accident happened about 6:20 p.m. when a southbound Volkswagen Jetta driven by Timothy VanDyke of Butler struck a deer.

The deer, according to a police report, was hurled into the air and into a northbound Nissan Versa driven by Mitch's husband, Raymond Mitch.

The animal went through the windshield and struck Carol Mitch, who was a passenger in the front seat.

She was pronounced dead at 6:40 p.m. A cause of death was not immediately known. Butler County Coroner William Young III did not return a telephone call this morning.

Meanwhile, Amy Mitch of Butler, the couple's daughter, suffered minor injuries in the crash. She was a backseat passenger. No other injuries were reported.

Only last month at the Butler-Armstrong County line, an Indiana County man died in a deer-related accident on Route 422

In that wreck near Mushroom Farm Road, state police said, Daniel Grissom, 34, of Homer City lost control of his car Oct. 18 when it ran over the carcass of a deer that was knocked into his lane by another car.

Grissom's car crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a truck driven by a Fenelton man.

Investigators said Grissom died at the scene of massive head and chest injuries.